Friction and Wear of Self-Lubricating Materials for Hydropower Applications under Different Lubricating Conditions

Self-lubricating bearings in hydropower applications are often lubricated with water under boundary lubricating conditions. Polyhydric alcohols replacing water have shown the potential to reduce both friction and wear. The objective of this work is, therefore, to evaluate the effect of a polyhydric alcohol-based environmentally-acceptable lubricant (EAL) on the friction and wear of self-lubricating materials for conformal contacts under boundary lubricating conditions. The lubricating properties of four commercially-available self-lubricating bearing materials were investigated under three different lubricating conditions: dry, water and a new polyhydric alcohol-based EAL. Bearing materials include one metallic composite and three polymer composites. A reciprocating motion test rig was used to evaluate the wear and friction properties. Surface analysis was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and optical profilometry. Results show that the wear rate for the polymer composites is increased when water is present compared to dry operating conditions. The new polyhydric alcohol-based EAL substantially improves both friction and anti-wear performance of all four self-lubricating bearing materials compared to both dry and water conditions. Surface analysis indicates that the material transfer to the counter-surface is limited when the polyhydric alcohol-based EAL is used